Got a Quick, Technical Question?

bolivar · June 2007

-First off, problems like this is why I would never, never put a remote starter or after market security system on a modern auto. Soomtime, they will come back and bite you

-My 2002 Honda Accord decided it liked to lock its doors by itself. Parked in the garage. Wifie complained a few times about going to the car and it was locked, I just thought she was tossing the fob into her monster purse and the button was getting pushed in the purse. (I never carried the remote. I hate the lumpy things.) I then put the thing in the garage unlocked myself, my wife wasn't messing with her purse to cause a remote button pushing issue, and I went back in a few minutes - the car was locked. Went down to the Honda dealer, talked to them, they looked at the TSB's for the car, and how about that, 2002 Honda Accords (and several other years/models) seemed to be locking themselves up. Replaced the 'module' which was part of the power window/door lock/etc buttons in the drivers door. Fixed it right up.

hoelschm · June 2007

A/C system blows cold air when running but blows hot air when idling. System has been re charged. Accident last August required replacement of Condenser. Dealer states receiver/dryer should have been replaced with condenser, therefore they say I need new condenser and dryer, $1050. Maybe contamination in the system. Air when running is not as cold as the past but sufficient.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2007

Here's some good info to help you decide what to do:

http://www.aa1car.com/library/ac98.htm

davethecarnut · June 2007

I have a 2003 GMC Sierra crewcab with power door locks. I can lock all four doors with the FOB and the switch on the drivers door. But I can't UNlock the rear doors with the FOB nor door switch. Does this sound like a fuse or something inside the doors? Thanks

marsha7 · June 2007

but this general topic would be better...

Vehicle: 2004 Ram 1500, 4 Door, 5.7L Hemi, manual control A/C

History: in the 2.5 years since purchase, the A/C coming from the vents has been freezing and high volume air, cooling the 4 door cabin quickly, even with temps in the high 90s...

Last Wednesday, June 13, wife is driving with 2 passengers, temp is in the mid 80s...suddenly, A/C is blowing cool, but not cold air, and, even on high fan, the air volume seems decreased, like the fan is blowing hard but less air is coming out...

I leave it at the Dodge dealer next day for repair (as an aside, I was given a loaner PT Cruiser that had the COLDEST A/C I have ever experienced in my life...so cold, that I had to turn the knob almost 25% toward heat, as I have never experienced air so cold from an auto A/C that I could not tolerate it...MAKE MY RAM LIKE THIS!!!)

Dealer checks out, says A/C at vent is 43 degrees, checks blend door and says working normal...in other words, there is nothing wrong with the truck...BUT I KNOW SOMETHING AIN'T RIGHT cuz it just ain't cooling the cabin!!!

The following day, I take it to Goodyear, and they tell me that it is possible that the R134a may be just a LITTLE low, but not low enough to trigger a warranty repair from Dodge...since this could be a major variable, it made sense to me, so they evacuated the system and replaced with the exact amount of R134 it calls for...

Now the problem is improved, but it has changed, so maybe you folks have a thought on what to check next...

The air became very cold, but it took almost 20 minutes of running before it became as cold as it used to be...so, the coldness is there, but there was a 20 minute delay, whereas before last week, it would blow cold air within 2-3 minutes...

Is there any other component that would delay the unit from making the air cold, since I am assuming that the R134 level is now correct???

Thanks...if your advice fixes this, I will have one happy wife again...as you know, when she isn't happy, Bob isn't happy...

stickguy · June 2007

was that the first time you used it after the refill? Maybe the system just had to get primed?

I would be curious to know how it is after a couple of days use, when you start it for the first time in the day.

georgeair · June 2007

Picked this truck up used a couple weeks ago, and the idle speed seems to be a little low, around 500. Makes low speed handling tough, and surges some. Is there an easy way to make a minor adjustment to the idle speed?

On a related note, this seemed to get worse after my dealer had the truck to replace the washer pump. Is there anything near the pump they may have knocked loose or disconnected that might cause this?

birdman409 · June 2007

I have a 95 blazer 4wd Automatic trans. When i shift into drive, I get a loud "clunk" that seems to be coming from under the rear seat (in the transmission area). Any ideas to point me in the right direction?
Also, I just had front driveaxles, shocks ball joints and the passenger side wheel bearing/hub assembly changed and got new tires and an alignment. I still have a good vibration in the steering wheel and what sounds like a bad bearing in the front passenger side. I plan to check it out this weekend, but I could use any advice or suggestions I can get. Thanks everyone.

johnsprite · June 2007

I recently bought a 88 dynasty le with a little over 100,000 miles. The other day while changing the brakes I noticed that both outer cv boots were torn. Still attached but torn. Although the car makes no clicking sounds on turns, it does make a clunking sound while in reverse and while decelerating. Up until a week ago the car had been stored in a garage for about 5 years and had only been driven about 1000 miles. My question is would replacing the boots with a quick boot replacement be worth it, or would that just be a temp fix and would I be better off just replacing both axles. If I were to replace the boots I would absolutely use the quick fix boot, because if I were to put the originals on, I would do almost as much work as if I were to replace the axles. One more question. If replacing the axles would be better, what other parts would be a good idea to change with the axle. Any seals or maybe even the motor mounts? I appreciate any help in advance. I am sorry if I posted this message in the wrong forum. This is my first post and I am just trying to get any and all help that I can. Once again thanks to everyone in advance.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2007

If the car is otherwise in good shape...given the mileage...I think a pair of axles (an axle kit) would be a good idea. While you're in there you can inspect brake pads, rotors and ball joints. The "quick-boots" don't work all that well and you have no idea if you have a bad CV joint or not. So your work might be in vain.

johnsprite · June 2007

Shiftright,
Thanks for the help. You know I was thinking along the same lines. I have heard mixed reviews on the quick boots and since I have never had to replace one myself I have no personal knowledge to fall back on. I hate to have to spend the money on new axles but I would hate it even more if I replaced the boots and still had to replace the axles further on down the road. It would be great to hear from anyone who has replaced their axles to give me an idea of whats in store for me if I decide to tackle the job myself. I am not a car genius, but I know the basics. Is this something a novice can do by themselves? Or do I have to bite the bullet and take it to a shop. Once again I have heard it all when it comes to replacing the axles. I am sure that all cars are different though. Thanks again Shiftright and to anyone else with some info on this problem.

crankshaft · June 2007

when the a/c stops working,see if the compressor is still engaged and spinning.If you get reduced air flow,there might be a problem with the blend doors in the heater box.

944s · June 2007

:sick: ive been having trouble with my sunfire, its been overheating a lot lately,ive already replaced the water pump and the thermostat. i guess the next step would be to look at the radiator for a clog or something. One thing noticed thile troubleshooting was that the coolant resevoir had a small crack in it. this morning i tried to start the car and it wouldnt start,, the ignition is ok and the spark plugs are a week old. some new things i noticed included:
1)when i removed the spark plugs out of curiosity i noticed that the electrode and top part of the spark plug were wet in gasoline.
2)the small crack (about one CM long) in the coolant tank also leaked fluid that smelled like gasoline????

this vehicle already had a heating issue where the cylinder head was craked and warped and i had to fork out $1500 to get that sumbitch fixed.

i need to know if anybody knows if i shoulg actually fix it or trash it? i just dont want to encounter these kind of problems every summer!!!
any answer is greatly appreciated!
:sick: :sick: :sick: :sick:

jipster · June 2007

Doesn't sound good 944... a lot of gas where it doesn't belong. If you can get anything for it, I'd sell the sumbitch.

nightstalker · June 2007

alright i just changed the transmission on an 97 mazda millenia and everythings hooked up fine tranny wise but when i got to start the vehicle it'll start but extremely rough, my first thought was the timing so i adjusted the timing and got it to run smoother but still wont stay running so basicly im out of ideas.....so if anyone can help id really appreciate it....oh yeah and i dunno if this helps but when i do get it started i go to rev the rpms and it doesnt sound right sounds way to low and it stops reving at i think 3 grand then second u let off it dies anyways thanks for the help if u can

user777 · June 2007

my wife had a mitsubishi 4cyl that idled really horribly post battery change. evertime i drove it, it would die when putting on the brake. took it out on the highway, and it would die when taking my foot off the gas.

i called a firestone service center and they told me the idle re-learn had to be re-done. basically, i was told to turn the car over and let it idle for 20min and not touch the gas pedal. worked great after that.

now i'm not saying this is your problem, but maybe your car has an idle relearn procedure which needs to be done when the battery is removed. perhaps googling might turn up something.

nightstalker · June 2007

well that would make sense but i cant keep the car running for no more then 5-10 seconds let alone ten minutes

user777 · June 2007

in my case, it sounded like the engine was going to die, but the trick was NOT to touch the gas at all, and it relearned the proper idle settings.

did you check to see that all your hoses are on and connections are tight, specially in the area of the throttle body? perhaps your IACV (Idle Air Control Valve), generally, something that allows air to bypass the throttle vave, has a hose fallen off.

i'm sorry i can't be of more help.

nightstalker · June 2007

no dont be sorry this is valued information just not to sure if its gonna work for this certain job but def. worth a try

nightstalker · June 2007

my next question is i just got the car running right and all that and the reason why i changed the transmission is because it kicked going into second gear now what my question is what could cause the tranny to kick while shifting could it be the torque converter

ryan77300d · June 2007

A good friend of mine purchased a '71 BMW 2002, and we're trying to be optimistic about having it roadworthy sometime in the near future.

After a quick engine bay assessment, there is:

1- Gas soaking everything; it's either soiled or dripping in it
2- Equal amounts of gas and oil in the crank case
3- Oil and gas covering everything (in a fine paste) from the headlights to the transmission tunnel.

I've already rebuilt the Weber carburetor and hosed everything down (Where's the original Solex when you need one?)

Why would there be so much gasoline in the oil? There's 80,000 miles on the engine. (I assume it's lead a hard life)

Thanks,
-Ryan

stickguy · June 2007

We need Mr. Shiftright to weigh in on this one!

I'm no expert, but this doesn't sound good. Might as well pull the engine now and start taking it apart. Just remember to sign up for a HELOC before you go too far.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2007

This engine doesn't run does it? Of course, with that much gas in the oil I certainly WOULD NOT try to start it!

Hard to say what's going on....could be a cracked head and or dead cylinder. First thing we need to do is a cylinder leakdown test and see if we have a bad head gasket/cracked head/whatever.

I suppose a defective Weber could dump gas in there but really only on "crank"....gas can't just drip into the crankshaft unless the engine is cranking or running.

qbrozen · June 2007

one thing confusing me here... if it is in "paste" form, how do you know its gas?

pops968 · June 2007

I have a 87 Ford RV with a 460 cu in engine. Everytime I turn left either at a corner or on a curve clouds of blue smoke blows out through the exhaust pipe. Doesn't do it when I turn right or go straight, just when I turn left. Anyone have any ideas on what's wrong. Thanks in Advance.

Dave

Mr_Shiftright · June 2007

Have you checked for excessive oil level?

I think I'd have a cylinder leakdown test done to see if you have very bad valve stem seals or valve guides on the right cylinder head.

burdawg · June 2007

Is it fuel injected or carbureted? Are you sure it's blue smoke and not black?

pops968 · July 2007

It is carbeurated and unfortunately it is blue smoke.

ryan77300d · July 2007

A compression test sounds good...we'll do that.

This engine does/did run, we drove it around before starting work.

The "Paste" is certainly gas and oil...smells like gas, beads like oil...isn't brake fluid, trans oil or anti-freeze etc.

One thing to note would be that the two gaskets for the upper timing chain cover were completely missing, and the Weber carb had apparently been rebuilt before I did it, with silicone being the gasket of choice.

Mr_Shiftright · July 2007

well god only knows what was done to the poor thing. But start with a compression test. If it has compression, then pop the valve cover and see how badly she is sludged up inside. If it's just "gassy" in there, that's okay but if you see a gray sludge everywhere, this engine might need total disassembly to examine for wear. You could use an engine flush but I hesitate to start the engine in this condition.

ryan77300d · July 2007

It's all gas inside, no sludge at all. I'm trying to wrestle with the timing chain tensioner to remove it so I can take a better look with the front timing chain covers off. We've decided to pull the engine w/trans and rebuild them both.

What's HELOC?

ahightower · July 2007

Question about my 2005 GMC Yukon XL, 30K miles. Last week I ran my mini-air compressor for about 10 minutes with the car turned off. After that, the car would not start. Accessories, windows, radio, etc., all worked (I didn't have anything on when running the compressor, not even the dome lights), and it make a clicking noise when turning the key, but it would not start. OnStar sent a dude to give me a jump start (I know how to jump start it myself, but I must have left my cables in the car I traded for this one, and none of ther neighbors had any, so I had to swallow my pride and ask for roadsie assistance). It has started up probably 10 times since then and run just fine. Question is, have I done any damage to the battery from running it down like that? Can I expect it to have a shorter life now that it's been run down and jump started? Should I go to Auto Zone and have them test it for me? The battery gauge (whatever you call it) on the dash has the needle right in the center, where I suppose it always was. I'm thinking I'm probably okay here, but wanted to make sure before I sent my wife off in it for any significant distance. Thanks.

qbrozen · July 2007

its fine. have you shortened the life? well, there's really no way to know for sure. It will die when it wants to. Whether you've ensured it will die in 765 days as opposed to 766 days is anyone's guess.

Mr_Shiftright · July 2007

Probably not. But you WILL damage your alternator if you make it charge up a dead battery. After the jump start (next time, which is hopefully never) you should charge your battery at home with a trickle charger....slow, overnight charges are best.

The only time a battery is really really hurt is when it is allowed to go completely, utterly dead and is then zapped with a jump. That could do one in I think.

Also, age and heat are enemies of batteries. So if your battery went into service in 2004, you may be ready for a new one at 3+ years.

richardson · July 2007

What's HELOC?
Home Equity Line of credit

ahightower · July 2007

Thanks for the replies. It was never completely dead, so I expect it will be okay. We were literally loading up for a family vacation when I discovered the problem, so we couldn't wait around. Jump starting seemed the only viable option. Fortunately everything worked out okay.

jaubin · July 2007

Hello

I own a manual transmission Hyundai Elantra. When accelerating, the rpms shoot up to around 5k, with no increase in mph. This lasts for a few seconds, I back off the accelerator, and then slowly increase gas until mph increases. Is this a belt issue?

many thanks

kiawah · July 2007

Sounds like your clutch is out of adjustment. It is slipping. If you allow this to continue, you will wear down your clutch, potentially also damaging your pressure plate. Get it to the shop.

Mr_Shiftright · July 2007

If it's slipping that much, I'd say his clutch is already done for.

turcotwa · July 2007

I have a 2002 Neon and the car clock/radio started to increase the clock time. It started increasing to 5 minutes ahead of actual time now it is almost 2 hours ahead in time. Even with reseting the time it starts to advance again. What could be causing this issue?

user777 · July 2007

a WAG: a defective clock module (probably). they are generally crystal controlled (crystals vibrate at a certain frequency when voltage is applied). those vibrations / pulses are divided down and provide the timebase for the clock module. the crystal or some other portion of the clock is probably out of spec.

if your vehicle is slightly over-voltaged, there should be regulation on the circuit board of the clock to handle the situation. if greatly over-voltaged, i think you'd experience other problems.

bolivar · July 2007

Something your might try - pull the negative battery cable for about 5 minutes. Then reset the clock. Pulling all power off it may make it reset itself correctly. I've had this process work on cheap VCR's which have strange problems occur.

If this doesn't work, the clock will need to be replaced.

I doubt a high voltage is the problem. An auto will get voltage varying from 12volts up to about 15.5volts when the battery is charging significantly in cold weather. Everything in the car should be able to handle this variance. Now if your charging system is throwing significantly more than 15.5volts into your auto's electrical system, I think you are going to have more serious problems than a clock. You will have all kinds of things burning up.

vandal88 · July 2007

I have a 93 taurus. The water pump went out on it and I need to replace it. The only problem is that the frame is too close to be able to just pull the water pump off. Do I need to lift the engine up a bit in order to be able to pull off the water pump? Or do I need to do something more drastic? :confuse:

crankshaft · July 2007

If you have the 3.8 engine you must raise the engine after removing the lower bolt from the right front engine mount.From what I read,that is the easy part.

nmason · July 2007

I am posting this for my brother, so I hope I have enough information. I don't know anything about cars, so here it goes!! LOL
1995 GMC Jimmy 4 wheel drive
4.3 liter and an automatic

I am not sure if there is an easy answer to this question, but does anyone know where I can find info on how to fix the lifter?? Or anyone out there know how??
Thanks

burdawg · July 2007

What's wrong with it? Noisy? Or is it collapsed?

hum3 · July 2007

EVen after turning off the ignition on '98 voyager, the cooling fan continues. I did some searches and read a little about a problem with the relay, but have no idea where it is or if it is a different problem altogether. I meanwhile pulled the fuse. Can anyone help or tel me where to look? Thanks!

nmason · July 2007

It is very noisy

[Deleted User] · July 2007

2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
6 cyl 4.0L
Auto
22k
Chassis Under-carriage Lubrication

I'm a vehicle DIY maintenance novice. Just changed my own oil but wasn't sure how to perform proper lube job...

I bought Pennzoil Premium Wheel Bearing 707L Red Grease to be sure I met the manufacturer specifications in the user manual (Pennzoil fact sheet showed it being used for all wheel and chassis lubrication and meeting the specs in my user manual for chassis lubrication). I bought a grease gun and a rubber extension tube.

During my first attempt, I found maybe five or six zerks on the bottom sides of steering control arm component joints which I cleaned and gave a few pumps. I noticed the rubber covering on each (are those called bushings?) bulge a little with each pump of the grease gun. I didn't want to do more than a few pumps of the handle for fear I was "stretching" that rubber "balloon" and might damage it.

1 - Should I pump in the grease until I see the rubber cover start to expand or is that already too much if it starts to expand?

2 - Should I keep pumping until I see some old grease come out from somewhere?

3 - Should I keep pumping until I see new grease come out to indicate I've "flushed-out" the old grease?

4 - How many zerks should I be finding on the front end of a Wrangler?

5 - Are there any zerks in the rear end I need to lubricate?

6 - Are there any places I need to grease that don't have zerks and you just have to rub it on?

7 - I see zerks on top and bottom of the front wheel hubs where the axle connects to them...I squeezed some grease into those but in hind-sight wondered if those are the "wheel bearing" zerks and I shouldn't have done that.

Thanks for any help.

margscar · July 2007

I have a 2005 Toyota Corolla with 160,000 miles. It has a noise I notice when driving slowly. It is a repetitive sound possibly bearing, but it isn't constant. Any ideas what else it might be?

Got a Quick, Technical Question?

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles